SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater Events Complex had a $15.9 million economic impact on Sweetwater County in 2022 through both national and local events.

During a presentation to the Sweetwater County Commission last month, Executive Director Kandi Pendleton went over the Events Complex’s return on investment. She said the mill-levy allocation for the Events Complex was $2.267 million, and the economic impact the complex had on Sweetwater County was $15,974,313.

“We strive to be an economic engine for Sweetwater County. We think that’s been a role that we’ve taken on in the last 10 years or so and we take that very seriously,” Pendleton said.

She said the economic impact was from direct visitor spending, and does not include any economic multipliers. According to data she received from the Wyoming Office of Tourism, overnight campers spent about $98 per night in Sweetwater County, totaling $2.3 million in 2022. 

“For every dollar that was invested from the mill levy, we returned $7.05 to Sweetwater County. So again, really proud of that, really proud that most of those dollars come from a small group of events that maybe allow us to keep things open for the public, or allow us to keep the prices down for the public benefit,” she said.

She said it’s been important to the Events Complex to strike a balance between national, regional, and community events. As important as it is to bring in events that are economic drivers for the community, she said they want to make sure the facility is available to the public as well.

Over 54 percent of the Events Complex’s economic impact came from general operations in 2022, which includes motocross, BMX racing, 4-H, horse shows, Sweetwater Speedway, and more. Over 20 percent of the economic impact came from Wyoming’s Big Show, while nearly 12 percent came from horse racing, almost 11 percent came from RV rallies, and over 2 percent came from the Royal Crown event.

She said the Royal Crown is a barrel racing and team roping event that happens right after fair, and she believes there is a lot of potential for growth and impact there.

National High School Finals Rodeo Update

Pendleton said the Escapade Rally will be back in Sweetwater County in June 2024 and the National High School Finals Rodeo (NHSFR) will be back in July 2024. However, she said the requirements for hosting the NHSFR have changed and may have put Sweetwater County out of the running in future years.

“They are asking for lots of indoor facilities, frankly I don’t know if it’s a possibility for our county anymore but I want us all to be aware of what those look like,” she said.

The new requirements include two indoor arenas for core events, and two covered arenas, one arena suitable for a jackpot and practice pen, 2,000 horse stalls, 1,500 camp sites, 75,000-90,000 square feet of trade show space, and shooting ranges close by. 

For the junior finals rodeo, they are requiring two indoor arenas, one practice jackpot arena, 1,500 horse stalls, 1,200 camp sites, 60,000-70,000 square feet of trade show space, and a shooting range nearby. 

“We’re definitely closer to meeting the qualifications for the junior high finals, but we’re off on both right now,” Pendleton said.

She said the Royal Crown also really needs two indoor arenas to be able to host that event successfully. They are looking at other locations to host it, meaning Sweetwater County could lose that event.

Pendleton said the last time they looked at the cost of constructing another indoor arena was a couple years ago and it would have been around $16 million. She said they would need to update their master plan, which is in their current project plans, to estimate that cost again.

She added that the NHSFR was supposed to go to Kansas City in 2027-28 but they defaulted on the contract so it’s back in Gillette for those years. She said Gillette is investing close to $250,000 into a new master plan, and Pendleton thinks they’re trying to become the permanent home to the rodeo. 

“I’m not saying we should be in that competition with them, I just think we all need to make sure that what we’re doing is on purpose. That we want to go forward with what our plan is and not just let things happen around us,” Pendleton said.